Road-grading machine.



J. H-. KEETLE.

ROAD GRADING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 10. 1916.

Patented Jan. 2, 1917.

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1. H. KEETLE. ROAD GRADING MACHINEr APPLICATION ,FILED JUNE I0, I9l6.

Patented Jan. 2', 1917.

4 SHEETS-SIIEET 2.

J. H. KEETLE.

ROAD GRADING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED was 10. I916.

Patented Jan. 2, 1917.

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L'H. KEETLE.

ROAD GRADING MACHINE;

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 10, I916.

Patented Jan. 2, 1917.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

JOHN H. KEETLE, OF ASHLAND, NEBRASKA.

ROAD-GRADING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 2, 1917.

Application filed June 10, 1916. Serial No. 102,921.

object to provide a convenient machine adapted to work both sides of the road at the same time, the machine being of such construction that the draft animals or motor may travel in the middle of the road where it is hardest, while side draft will be avoided, in that drag of the scrapers at the opposite sides of the machine will be balanced. The main scrapers are' carried by frames which have hinged connections with a main or central frame, so that the said scrapers may be adjusted to any desired drooping positions relative to said main frame in rounding up the road, the saidhinged frames being adapted to be lifted up to vertical positions, or nearly so, so as to be folded in toward the main frame when it is desired to cross narrow bridges and avoid interference with the side walls or side railings thereof. Means are provided for adjusting the main scrapers in and out of their main frames and for changing the inclinations of their working positions, all as will hereinafter more fully appear.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a plan view of the improved machine. Figs. 2 and 3 are side and end views, respectively, of the machine, Fig. 1 is a detail view of the means for adjusting the main scrapers in and out, and Fig. 5 is a detail view of the means for varying the inclined working position of said main'scrapers.

Referring to the drawings, the .main frame of the machine consists of longitudinal bars 12 and cross bars 13 properly secured together, the ends of said cross bars overhanging said'longitudinal bars. Bolted to the forward end of the longitudinal bars is a plate or disk 14 to which is secured, by means of a king bolt 15, a similar plate or disk16 carrying depending bars 17 through which passes a rod 18 on which the front wheels 19 are suitably journaled. Pivotally mounted on the rod 18 is a two-part yoke or clevis 20 to which the draft pole or tongue 21 is suitably secured. By virtue of this construction the front wheels may be turned beneath the main frame of the machine to any desired positions in making short turns, or the draft tongue or pole may be turned entirely around beneath the machine, if desired, for compactness and convenience in shipping.

Depending from the rear ends of the longitudinal bars 12 are hangers 22 supporting a rod or axle 23 carrying a roller 24. The roller 24: is preferably made in two parts, as shown. At the extreme rear ends of the bars 12 is a cross bar 24 provided-with a yoke or clevis 25 for the attachment of a tongue or pole 26 of a two-wheeled push-gig or cart to be drawn by animals which may thus assist in the propulsion of the machine, from the rear, if desired. The rear end of the main frame will preferably also be stiffened by additional cross bars 27 secured thereto.

to vertical rods 3% suitably mounted in the frames 28 and provided at their upper ends with hand wheels 35 by which they may be turned. Meshing with the said crown gears 33 are bevel gears 36 at the rear ends of longitudinal rods 37 which are provided at their forward ends with bevel gears 38 meshing with the bevel gears 32 at the inner ends of the forward screws 31. of this construction in which the bars 30 are each provided with two separated nuts through which the screws 3lpass, said bars may be given an in and out adjustment,

By virtue parallel to the rods 37, by turning the hand wheels 35, so as to adjust the scrapers 29 to any desired lateral positions relative to the main frame, according to the width of the road being worked.

The pivotal supports of the main scrapers 29 pass through spacing devices arranged between the tops of said scrapers and the 1 bars 30 by which they are carried, each of said spacing devices preferably consisting of two metal disks 39 between which is a block of wood 40 somewhat wedge-shaped and preferably formed thicker at its front than at its back, so as to give an inclined mounting, relative to a horizontal plane, to the scrapers, so that they will work more ef ficiently in drawing in the dirt from the inclined sides of the road toward the center of the road.

The main scrapers work in inclined posi- I after the scrapers have been adjusted, by

detent pawls 45. For adjusting one ofthe scrapers, to vary the inclination of its working face, one of the hand wheels 43 on one of the pivoted frames will be turned to let off one of the chains 41, and the other hand wheel will be turned to correspondingly tighten the other chain; and when the scraper is adjusted to its desired inclined position it will be retained in such position by the chains 41 which at such time, will be drawn taut.

Supported by the cross bars 13 of the main frame are U shaped standards 46 joined together at their tops, longitudinally of the machine, by rods 47, and mounted in the vertical portions of said standards are winding rollers 48 provided with hand wheels 49 by which they may be turned, for the purpose of winding up or letting off chains 50 each of which is attached at 51 to I an outer portion of a hinged frame28. From the point 51 each chain passes to and around a pulley 52- mounted'in a pulley block 53 supported'by one of the rods 47,

i the chain passing from saidpulley 52 to a pulley 54 mounted near the outerend of the hinged frame 28, and running from said pulley 54 to a pulley 55 in the said pulley block 53, and thence to and around a winding roller 48. The chains 50 thus serve to support the hinged frames 28in any desired positions, which may be varied by letting off or drawing up the said chains 50 by turning the hand wheels 49; and when the hinged frames have beenadjusted to desired positions the winding rollers will be prevented from turning by means of detent hooks 49 engaging the hand-wheels 49. The chains 50 not only serve to support the hinged frames in any desired working posit'ions,-but by meansof said chains and the winding rollers 48 the said hinged frames may be drawn upward and inward to nearly vertical positions, as denoted in dotted lines atthe left of Fig; 3, when it is desired to cross narrow bridges not affording sufficient space between the guards or side rails thereof for the passage of the machine when the hinged frames are in their working positions.

The forward ends of the hinged frames 28 are connected to the forward ends of the longitudinal bars 12 of the main frame by means of guy chains 28 extending from said bars to the outer sides of the forward ends of the said pivoted'frames, said chains serving to prevent side strain which would otherwise come on the hinges or pivotal points of the said frames. The main frame will preferably be provided at its front end with a suitable seat 56 for the driver, and'will also preferably be provided with supplemental scrapers 57 for levelingthe middle of the road and which may or may not'be adjustably mounted.

Instead of locking the wheels 49 on the winding rollers 48 by means of the hooks 49 flexible brake-bands 58, having end loops 59, may be passed around-said wheels or rollers and the said loops may'then be brought into such positions that the driver, occupying the seat 56, may insertjhis feet in saidloops, and thus be able to tightenorslacken said brake bands to hold said wheels and rollers stationary, or let off the chains wound on said rollers, in letting down the pivoted frame 28. Also, if desired, these brake bands may be utilized to hold up the said pivoted frames, when lifted, as denoted in dotted lines in Fig. 3.

From the foregoing it will be understood that the invention provides a convenient road machine by which both sides of the road may be worked at the same time, and

tending upward from said main frame,

winding rollers mounted in said support, flexible connections passing from saidwinding rollers to the outer parts of-said hinged frames, suitable pulleys over which said flexible connections run, means for turning said winding rollers and means for retaining said rollers in any desired positions.

2. In a road machine, the combination with a main frame, of side frames extending longitudinally of and arranged parallel to said main frame and to each other, and having hinged connections with said main frame, said side frames being adapted to be lifted nearly to vertical positions, scrapers carried by said hinged side frames, means for adjusting said scrapers bodily in and out on said side frames, a support extending upward from said main frame, winding rollers mounted in said support, flexible connections passing from said winding rollers to the outer parts of said hinged frames, suitable pulleys near the top of said support and over which said flexible connections run, means for turning said winding rollers and means for retaining said rollers in any desired positions; whereby said hinged frames may be lowered to bring said scrapers into working positions and may be raised so as that their outer ends are brought up near the top of said support for compactness in traveling the machine through narrow passageways.

3. In a road machine, the combination with a main central frame, of side frames extending longitudinally of and arranged parallel to said main frame and to each other and having hinged connections with said main central frame so that they may be raised and lowered, scrapers carried by said hinged frames, means for raising and lowering said hinged frames for the purpose of varying the vertical working positions of said scrapers or for lifting said hinged frames nearly to vertical positions, to narrow the machine, when desired, and means for adjusting said scrapers in and out on said hinged frames, said means comprising carrying bars for said scrapers, said bars being each provided with two separated nuts, adjusting screws passing through said nuts, and hand-operable gearing for turning said screws.

4:. In a road machine, the combination with a main central frame, of side frames having hinged connections with said main central frame so that they may be raised and lowered, an adjustable bar on each of said hinged frames, said bars being each pro- Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

vided with two separated nuts, scrapers pivotally supported on said bars so that they may be turned to different inclined positions, a screw passing through each of said nuts and provided with a gear, an adjusting shaft mounted on each hinged frame and having at its upper end a hand wheel by which it may be turned and having at its lower end a gear meshing with the gear on one of said screws,a longitudinal rod mounted in each hinged frame and having at one end a gear meshingwith the gear on said adjusting shaft, and having at its other end a gear meshing with the gear on the other of said screws, so that by turning said ad justing shaft the bars carrying said scrapers may be moved in and out with a parallel adjustment by the screws passing through the two separated nuts in each of said bars.

5. In a road machine, the combination with a main central frame, of side frames having hinged connections with said main central frame so that they may be raised and lowered, an adjustable bar on each of said hinged frames, said bars being each provided with two separated nuts, scrapers pivotally supported on said bars so that they may be turned to difierent inclined positions, a screw passing through each of said nuts and provided with a gear, an adjusting shaft mounted on each hinged frame and having at its upper end a hand wheel by which it may be turned and having at its lower end a gear meshing with the gear on one of said screws, a longitudinal rod mounted in each hinged frame and having at one end a gear meshing with the gear on said adjusting shaft, and having at its other end a gear meshing with the gear on the other of said screws, so that by turning said adjusting shaft the bars carrying said scrapers may be moved in and out with a parallel adjustment by the screws passing through two separated nuts in each of said bars, and means for adjusting said scrapers on their pivots in said bars, to vary the inclination of their working positions In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

JOHN H. KEETLE.

Washington, D. C. 

